NEWS RELEASE
PUBLIC INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
PO Box 567, Buies Creek, NC 27506
Tel: (910) 893-1224 w Fax: (910) 893-1922
Community Gathers in Worship to Support Wallace
Approximately 100 choir members from churches
throughout the Little River Baptist Association and a capacity crowd
gathered to ask God’s blessings on the administration of Dr. Jerry
M. Wallace at a worship service held Wednesday, March 31. Wallace
will be inaugurated the fourth president of Campbell University on
Friday, April 2, at 2 p.m.
“God called Campbell University into being and just as
importantly, God called Jerry Wallace,” said Dr. Dennis Bazemore, vice
president for Student Life. Bazemore, the Reverend Dan Deaton, director of the
Little River Baptist Association, and North Carolina Representative Edd Nye
brought greetings at the service.
“You know you came to us in 1960 and you had a vision for
Elizabethtown Baptist Church,” said Nye, who represents Bladen and Sampson
counties. “I know you have a vision for Campbell University too.”
Wallace, who served as pastor of Elizabethtown Baptist Church
from 1960-1975, led in the decision to relocate all of the facilities and the
construction of a complete church campus, which included two educational
buildings and a new sanctuary. He also helped create significant growth in
church membership.
That same kind of initiative characterized Wallace as a
religion professor at Campbell, former student Becky Thompson recollected.
“You know how you might plan on ‘coasting’ your senior year?” asked Thompson
(’78), who had Wallace for senior seminar. “Well, Dr. Wallace had other ideas.
I want you to know as you take office, Dr. Wallace, that every time your feet
hit the floor there will be a test. Dr. Wallace, this is your senior seminar.”
In his message, Dr. Michael Cogdill, dean of the Campbell
University Divinity School, called Wallace the leader of a great excursion.
“Tonight we’re here to celebrate a great journey,” said
Cogdill. “Wouldn’t it be great if J.A. Campbell were here for us to say to
him, ‘Dr. Campbell, it worked! And when you died, your son Leslie expanded on
your dream. And Norman Wiggins, who was a young boy at the time, grew up to
take over from him, and then there was a boy in Richmond County by the name of
Jerry Wallace, who has come to love Campbell as much as you did.’ We are all
here tonight because of our utmost confidence in God,” said Cogdill, “and
that’s the message of the commitment we make.”
A graduate of East Carolina University, Dr. Jerry M. Wallace
received Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees from Southeastern
Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, he received a master’s degree in
sociology and a Doctor of Education from North Carolina State University. He
joined the Campbell faculty in 1970 as an adjunct professor; then from 1975 to
1981, he served as chairman of the Department of Religion and Philosophy and
Tyner Professor of Religion. Wallace was later named dean of the university
and director of Graduate Studies; then appointed vice president of Academic
Affairs and provost, where he served from 1984 to 2001. After stepping away
from the provost position, Wallace served as a special assistant to President
Norman A. Wiggins and as the James R. Coates Professor of Religion and Society
in the Campbell Divinity School. He was elected president of Campbell
University on May 29, 2003.
Bulletin 0088 |
